Immersion Education in Canada: Stability and Change

1
Immersion Education in Canada Stability and
Change

• Peter MacIntyre
• Cape Breton University
• Presented in Graz, Austria Sept 24, 2008
• at the European Centre for Modern Languages

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Outline

• The language map of Canada
• Describe French Immersion Approach
• Support and Criticism of Immersion
• State of Immersion in Canada Report (2006)
• Recent Controversy in New Brunswick
• Canadian Parents for French
• Conclusions

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Languages in Canada

• English 21.8 million speakers
• French 7.2 million speakers
• Approximately 5.5 million English - French
  bilingual (17 of population)
• Much more common for L1 French (43) to be
  bilingual than L1 English (9)

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Bilingualism Map of Canada
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Other languages in Canada

• Next 4 Chinese, Italian, German Punjabi
• There are 50 - 70 Indigenous languages in 11
  language families
• Small, rural communities
• Most are in critical decline
• Only 3 likely to survive
• (Cree, Inuktitut, Ojibway, all have 20,000 to
  70,000 speakers)
• Immigrants, L3 issue
• Especially prevalent in large cities
• Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver
• Language issues remain primarily English French
• Official bilingualism is promoted and practiced
  by Canadian Government.

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Immersion Education in Canada
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Core Features of Immersion

• Swain and Johnson (1997) list 8 core features of
  Immersion
• 1. L2 is medium of instruction.
• 2. Immersion curriculum parallels local L1
  curriculum.
• 3. Overt support for L1.
• 4. The program aims for additive bilingualism.
• 5. Exposure to L2 largely confined to classroom.
• 6. Students enter with similar (and limited)
  levels of L2 proficiency.
• 7. Teachers are bilingual.
• 8. Classroom culture is that of the local L1
  community.

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Types of French Immersion Programs in Canada

• Early French Immersion
• begins in Kindergarten or Grade 1 (age 5 or 6)
  and is characterized by 100 French instruction
  from beginning through Grade 2.
• Middle Immersion
• begins in Grade 3 or 4 and usually starts with a
  level of French instruction around 80. 
• Late Immersion
• begins in Grade 6 or 7 with about 60-75 French
  instruction.
• All three types have been shown to be effective
• Early Immersion has some advantage.

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Characteristics of Immersion

• Immersion education began in Quebec in 1960s
• English-speaking parents
• Built by parents, educators and psychologists
• Bilingualism reported among 25 of Canadian young
  adults aged 18-29
• 3 of 5 immersion students are girls
• Immersion students outperform non-immersion
  students in L1 reading
• French immersion students tend to have higher
  socio-economic status backgrounds

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Additional Factors

• Immersion programs are more easily available
• in more affluent communities
• and in Eastern Canada
• Self-selection of students
• less-skilled students may be transferring out of
  immersion programs
• enriched learning environments, positive peer
  effects

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Support and Criticisms of French Immersion

• Immersion supports bilingualism
• but not native-like fluency
• Public sometimes complains about use of federal
  funds
• - education is a provincial responsibility in
  Canada
• Support - skill in the French language
• eligibility for future jobs
• helps to promote French culture
• Criticism perceived as having limited access
• voluntary nature of program
• Immersion students not completely fluent

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STATE OF IMMERSION (2006)

• Report from the
• Canadian Council on Learning

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Immersion Participation Rates
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Rates of French-English Bilingualism in Canada
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Results of Immersion programs
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Improving Immersion Education

• Education system must focus on
• 1. recruitment of qualified teachers,
• 2. finding or developing curricula and teaching
  materials that are up to date and relevant for
  todays youth,
• 3. maintaining secondary immersion programs
  despite the lack of teaching resources in
  courses,
• 4. recruiting immersion students among Aboriginal
  and new Canadians.

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Contd

• Gaps exist with
• access to transportation,
• provisions for developing written goals for
  student achievement in FSL,
• defining qualifications for FSL teachers,
• developing models regarding the cost of providing
  FSL programs.

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Suggestions for Immersion in Canada

• Increase the supply of qualified French-immersion
  teachers
• Need French Specialty (e.g., Sciences)
• Work to reduce attrition rates among students,
  especially after grade 8
• Increase participation rates among immigrant
  students

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Controversy in New Brunswick

• Canadas only officially
• bilingual province

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Controversy in New Brunswick

• March 2008 NB Education Minister Kelly Lamrock
  announced that the province would be eliminating
  its early immersion program.
• Dr. James Croll and Patricia Lee released their
  review of the programs, including 18
  recommendations.
• NB branch of Canadian Parents for French called
  for one-year moratorium on changes to early
  immersion and early core French.

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Croll and Lee Report (2008) 7 of their 18
Recommendations

• 1) French programming for Anglophone children
  begins at Grade 5 with Intensive French.
• 2) Late Immersion first offered beginning in Gr.
  6
• 6) All academic materials for classroom use be
  available in French and English at the same time.
• 7) That comprehensive evaluations be carried out.
  
• 14) University training courses be reviewed.
• 17) Parents be informed of the L2 employment
  criteria for both the Provincial and Federal
  governments.
• 18) Retain target of 70 of high school graduates
  function effectively in speaking their 2nd
  official language.

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Canadian Parents for French

• Powerful group of parents
• David Brennick - CPF Vice-President
• Served on Board of CPF-Nova Scotia initially as a
  director before completing a two year term as
  president.
• Currently Co-ordinator of Student Services with
  the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board in
  Eastern Nova Scotia
• Director of the Network for
• Children and Youth,
• Eastern Nova Scotia
• Successful in altering govt policy
• Some changes are likely

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A Challenge for CanadaLanguages other than
English and French

• Swain and Johnson (1997) note the rapid growth of
  highly diverse populations in large Canadian
  urban centers.
• Increase in L3 learners
• programming needs to change to recognize home
  languages other than English.

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Conclusions

• Immersion is well respected in Canada
• Especially if goals are realistic ones
• Enrollments are stable, slightly increasing
• Some locations are better than others
• Qualified teaching staff materials are issues
• Especially in higher grades
• Attrition is a concern
• Some challenges remain
• Provincial vs Federal roles

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Immersion Education in Canada Stability and
Change

• Peter MacIntyre
• Cape Breton University
• Presented in Graz, Austria Sept 24, 2008
• at the European Centre for Modern Languages